Kernel level driver
⚠️ Article status notice: This article has been marked as incomplete
This article needs additional work for its sourcing and verifiability to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. In particular:
- No references
This notice will be removed once the issue/s highlighted above have been addressed and sufficient documentation has been added to establish the systemic nature of these issues. Once you believe the article is ready to have its notice removed, please visit the Moderator's noticeboard, or the discord and post to the #appeals channel.
Learn more ▼
This article has been flagged due to verification concerns. While the topic might have merit, the claims presented lack citations that live up to our standards, or rely on sources that are questionable or unverifiable by our standards. Articles must meet the Moderator Guidelines and Mission statement; factual accuracy and systemic relevance are required for inclusion here!
Articles in this wiki are required to:
- Provide verifiable & credible evidence to substantiate claims.
- Avoid relying on anecdotal, unsourced, or suspicious citations that lack legitimacy.
- Make sure that all claims are backed by reliable documentation or reporting from reputable sources.
Examples of issues that trigger this notice:
- A topic that heavily relies on forum posts, personal blogs, or other unverifiable sources.
- Unsupported claims with no evidence or citations to back them up.
- Citations to disreputable sources, like non-expert blogs or sites known for spreading misinformation.
To address verification concerns:
- Replace or supplement weak citations with credible, verifiable sources.
- Make sure that claims are backed by reputable reporting or independent documentation.
- Provide additional evidence to demonstrate systemic relevance and factual accuracy. For example:
- Avoid: Claims based entirely on personal anecdotes or hearsay without supporting documentation.
- Include: Corporate policies, internal communications, receipts, repair logs, verifiable video evidence, or credible investigative reports.
If you believe this notice has been placed in error, or once the article has been updated to address these concerns, please visit the Moderator's noticeboard, or the #appeals channel on our Discord server: Join here.
Kernel drivers, kernel modules, or drivers are programs that run inside the kernel of an operating system. The kernel is the most fundamental part of the operating system, it provides basic services which other parts of the operating system use. Kernel drivers allow the computer to communicate with hardware devices such as keyboards, mice, storage, and network cards. Kernel access is required since these drivers usually manage hardware directly, which isn't possible in user space. This code is minimally restricted since it runs inside of the kernel, meaning drivers have privilege as high as any other part of the operating system — higher than even the traditional administrator role. If kernel code fails, the entire system may crash, or become unreliable. In comparison, user processes can gracefully exit without affecting other processes. Also, if a kernel driver has any vulnerabilities, these can be exploited to gain kernel access and bypass any security measures the user has in place.
There are even lower level processors and programs, which typically operate beyond the control of an operating system. Examples include the UEFI or BIOS, the Intel management engine (and similar processors from other manufacturers), the microcode, and the controllers on various devices (like the storage controller on a solid state drive). These are typically proprietary, less well documented and less well understood than the kernel. They can pose similar risks to kernel drivers.
Consumer impact summary
Code running in the kernel presents numerous privacy and security concerns. Code running in the kernel can read and write the memory of any running process, including apps and websites used for banking, passwords, and other highly sensitive actions. Additionally, it has full control over all hardware, including the capability to permanently damage or disable hardware components.
Many companies now require the use of proprietary drivers in order to use applications that would work fine in user space, like kernel level anti-cheats. This gives these companies unrestricted access to a consumer's system, allowing for unmoderated data collection and control.
Examples
- CrowdStrike
- Anti-cheats, like Easy Anti Cheat and EA Anti Cheat